M31: The Andromeda Galaxy
The most distant object easily visible to the unaided eye isM31,the great Andromeda Galaxy.Even at some two and a half million light-years distant, this immense spiral galaxy – spanning over200,000 light years – is visible, although as a faint, nebulous cloud in theconstellationAndromeda.In contrast, a bright yellow nucleus, dark winding dust lanes, andexpansive spiral arms dotted with blue star clusters and red nebulae, are recorded in this stunning telescopic image which combines data from orbiting Hubble with ground-based images from Subaru and Mayall.
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